Kneeling while eating

Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

0

Shares

iStockphoto.com

Remember Kerri Strug? She was the American gymnast who took gold on a broken ankle at the 1996 Olympics. Ever want to be more like her? Then try sitting “seiza”-style without dropping a single piece of sushi.

Seiza is when you sit in a semi-kneeling position with your butt cheeks rested on your Achilles tendons. It originated in the era of samurais in order to honor the others sitting with you, but because it can numb your legs pretty quickly, many Japanese people today have chosen to ignore this piece of etiquette.

If you break out the seiza at a table full of Japanese people, however, they will be extremely impressed.

Note: This only works at restaurants that offer traditional Japanese seating. Do this while sitting in a chair and you will look like a moron.